


Thaw

by notmyyacht



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Chilton follows his dick... er I mean his heart, Drabble, Established Relationship, Ice Skating, M/M, Season/Series 02, Weird Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 09:10:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13027842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notmyyacht/pseuds/notmyyacht
Summary: Frederick is having doubts that Hannibal is the perfect boyfriend he always wanted. Though that's hard to say when Hannibal takes him ice skating.





	Thaw

**Author's Note:**

> For day two of the 12 Days of Holiday Shipping Challenge! Prompt: Ice Skating
> 
> Completely unbeta'd! Any and all mistakes are on me.

Frederick had his doubts. He couldn’t deny them. He couldn’t deny that some semblance of him believed Will, and yet… And yet as Hannibal held onto Frederick’s waist, Frederick wished he could forget anything bad Will Graham had ever said about his lover.

 _Lover_ , such a strange, foreign term to Frederick. It wasn’t that he never had lovers in the past, but nothing ever compared to what he shared with Hannibal. This wasn’t some one-night stand or brief courting, no. This was what Frederick had hoped to be a relationship. His crush on Hannibal stemmed back before they even knew each other. And now here they were, holding each other on a frozen lake, closer than they’d ever been, and yet it was now that Frederick was having his doubts.

Frederick had scoffed when Hannibal drove up to the vacant lake. It was completely frozen solid from the frigid temperatures of late and Hannibal had kept it a secret up until they got there. And here Frederick thought Hannibal was going to take him someplace fancy; either that or someplace remote for Hannibal to kill him.

‘Seriously? Ice skating?’ Frederick had said, and motioned at his cane.

‘Don’t worry Frederick,’ Hannibal had said, taking out the two pairs of skates, ‘you can hold onto me the entire time, if you want.’

Hannibal opened the passenger door and gestured for Frederick to swing his legs out. Frederick complied with a purse of his lips. Fine, he’ll play along. Hannibal made quick work untying his toes and replacing them with perfectly fitted skates. Of course Hannibal knew what shoe size Frederick was.

Frederick felt a blush creep into his cheeks as he watched Hannibal, kneeled in front of him, tying his skate for him. Doubt was there, but also a sense of trust. He had trusted this man for so long…

Hannibal said nothing when Frederick showed he could walk in the skates fairly easily.

‘My parents had a pond in their backyard when I was a boy,’ he had explained. Hannibal smiled and commented about how Frederick must have been pretty good at skating then.

‘Oh, that was a long time ago. What about you?’

Hannibal said nothing as he took the first step out onto the ice.

‘I’ll show you,’ he said and offered out his hand.

And he was fantastic, as he is at everything. Frederick wasn’t sure why he was even the little bit surprised. They weren’t bad together either. Frederick would stumble or slip once or twice, but Hannibal would only press in closer to keep him upright.

Frederick didn’t dwell on the passing thought that he might have been slipping on purpose just so Hannibal would hold him tighter. And why not? Hannibal’s touch was encouraging and warm. Frederick’s mind sparked at how he could recognize those same touches when they’re in bed together.

Heat rose to Frederick’s cheeks, suddenly distracted by thoughts of their time together the night before; he couldn’t help but feel excited at what was ever to come tonight.

And then the doubts returned.

Suddenly, Hannibal’s warm touch felt hot, like it would burn right through Frederick’s coat and against his skin. The firm hold around him was one of possession and entrapment. This romantic gesture now looked foreboding and potentially deadly. Perhaps Hannibal did take him out here to kill him. Was this Hannibal playing with his food?

Frederick covered the hand around his waist. This was him begging. _Hannibal, please don’t ruin the moment and kill me._ Frederick wasn’t sure if Hannibal got the message; he certainly couldn’t read his mind. Either way, when the both of them had had enough of the cold, Hannibal suggested they return to his house and make them real hot chocolate.

Not today, then. Frederick was relieved, but his doubts were far from gone.


End file.
